Queeni Victoria Gandam has recently made two sensational achievements in open water swimming. First, in June 2024, she became the first woman from Andhra Pradesh or Telangana to successfully cross the English Channel. More recently, she and her son became the first-ever mother-son duo to complete the swim from Mandwa to the Gateway of India.
A fashion designer by profession, Queeni also enjoys cooking. Remarkably, she took up serious swimming at the age of 43. “As a child, I learned swimming and cycling because my grandfather believed these were essential skills for both boys and girls,” she recalls. However, the real turning point came when she began accompanying her children to their swimming practice, which inspired her to take up the sport seriously in 2018.
Her journey is a testament to the incredible heights one can achieve through determination, hard work, perseverance, and relentless pursuit of excellence. She remains an inspiration for aspiring athletes worldwide, proving that age is no barrier to achieving remarkable physical milestones. She is particularly a role model for middle-aged athletes striving to challenge their limits.
Originally from Nalgonda, Queeni has lived in Amangal (Mahbubnagar) and now resides near Kachiguda, Hyderabad. Despite her incredible achievements, she faced numerous challenges, especially in securing sponsorships.
“People would say, ‘Why would you swim at this age?’ I had to spend my mornings convincing sponsors, often missing practice sessions in the process,” she recalls. Eventually, support came from individuals and organizations such as Jothi Raj, S. Akbar, Aspire Enterprises, Dreamaxiz Software Pvt. Ltd., Packers and Movers, and the Hyderabad Police.
“Age is just a number. If 92-year-olds can break records, why can’t I do it at 44?” she says.
Swimming the English Channel
On June 25, 2024, Queeni participated in a relay swim from England to France as part of an eight-member team. Covering a distance of 71 km in water temperatures between 12°C and 14°C, the team completed the challenge in 60 hours and 50 minutes. They began their journey around 11 PM, with Queeni taking her first dip in the early morning hours, just as the sun was beginning to rise.
Battling freezing waters, high tides, and exhaustion, Queeni experienced intense physical challenges. Yet, she found unexpected motivation when jellyfish brushed against her, almost as if cheering her on. “It was challenging to swim in such cold waters, but we arrived ten days in advance to acclimatize. I took on this challenge to inspire other women,” she said. Prior to this feat, she had trained in the open waters of Rameswaram, Udaipur, and Goa.
Queeni has also competed in prestigious international events, including:
- 2019: Turkey Masters International Invitational Meet
- June 2023: Cairo World Underwater Finswimming Championship
- September 2023: Serbia Open Water Finswimming Championship
She was the first South Indian to compete in the Underwater Masters Finswimming World Championship, winning two silver medals.
Queeni credits her achievements to her coach, Dinesh Rajori, as well as her husband, Anil Kumar, and her children, Elizabeth Queen and Stephen Kumar, who provided unwavering support throughout her training.
Mother-Son Duo Creates History: Swimming from Mandwa to Gateway of India
On January 19, 2025, Queeni Victoria Gandam and her 20-year-old son, Stephen Kumar, became the first Indian mother-son duo to complete a 17-kilometer open-water swim from Mandwa Jetty to the Gateway of India in Mumbai. Swimming from 7:36 AM to 2:37 PM, they braved strong currents and fatigue to accomplish what initially seemed like an ordinary challenge—only to later discover they had set a new record.
Their objective was to raise awareness about ocean conservation, a cause close to their hearts. Stephen, a national swimming champion, has been Queeni’s strongest supporter and teammate. “Swimming as a mother-son team teaches you so much about each other. It strengthens a bond that is hard to describe,” she says.
Their achievement revived memories of my own solo English Channel swim in 1988, with my brother supporting me from the guide boat.
Looking ahead, their next goal is an even greater challenge: swimming from Robben Island in South Africa this April.
With an unshakable spirit, Queeni now dreams of conquering the Seven Seas of the World. It would be an incredible spectacle if she could achieve this milestone alongside her son!
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*Freelance journalist and accomplished open-water swimmer. He swam the English Channel, Lake Zurich, and Dharamtar to Gateway of India in 1988
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